Perishable agricultural products such as harvested fruits, vegetables, and flowers, as well as frozen foods, are typically transported in refrigerated shipping containers. These containers are designed for transport by truck, rail, air, or ship, enabling consumers to enjoy a wide variety of products year-round from many parts of the world.
Refrigeration itself is an effective means of preserving the freshness of agricultural products for extended periods of time and of inhibiting spoilage and the growth of microorganisms. However, refrigeration only retards the growth of these microorganisms and does not destroy them, and as much as 20% of all products shipped worldwide are lost to spoilage and rot. Further, certain fresh products emit ethylene, which promotes undesired ripening of the products during transport.
Refrigerated containers may include fans which operate at a low speed and a high speed. However, electrical infrastructure which may be used to power accessory devices within the refrigerated container is not provided in the current art. Furthermore, refrigerated containers in the current art do not provide structural infrastructure to accommodate (e.g., mount) accessory devices. Modification of the interior of a refrigerated container and installation/removal of accessory devices would require additional materials and significant time. Such accessory devices may significantly contribute to preserving the freshness and safety of agricultural products.